Sept. 2, 2026
Good day, and welcome to the Fairfax County NewsCenter podcast. Coming up, learn about Fairfax250, the new “Ask Fairfax” Generative AI chatbot, Medicaid changes and new self-service kiosks. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at fairfaxcounty.gov.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is offering visitors two free ways to explore local history this fall as part of Fairfax250, the county’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. The September Sundays Free Tour Series brings guided programs to seven historic sites, while the Fairfax250 Adventure Patch offers a self-guided experience that visitors can complete on their own schedule. September Sunday tours will be offered at Colvin Run Mill, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Green Spring Gardens, Historic Huntley and Sully Historic Site. The series also includes tours of two buildings that are not typically open for regular public tours: the Spindle Sears House, a Sears, Roebuck & Company kit home built in 1935 in Historic Centreville; and the more-than-200-year-old Frying Pan Spring Meeting House at Frying Pan Farm Park. Each stop reveals a different piece of Fairfax County history. The tours are free, but space is limited and advance registration is required. The Fairfax250 Adventure Patch offers another way to explore the county’s history. Visitors can complete six activities at their own pace, following three themes: Learning, Sharing and Doing. Complete the challenge and earn a commemorative Fairfax250 patch. Learn more, register for September Sundays and get started on the Fairfax250 Adventure Patch. Search "Fairfax 250" on fairfaxcounty.gov/parks.
You may have noticed our website’s search bar has a new look. Our new “Ask Fairfax” Generative AI chatbot is designed to help you quickly find information across fairfaxcounty.gov. Like other AI chatbots, “Ask Fairfax” draws answers from Fairfax County websites and shares information in an easy-to-read, conversational format. It’s similar in style to tools like Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude, but focused exclusively on county information so you can get answers from trusted sources. You can ask the chatbot questions such as, “How do I pay my taxes?” or “Adopt a dog,” and it will guide you to the right services and resources. The chatbot is multilingual, so you can search for information in different languages. The county website contains thousands of pages and documents, so if an answer is helpful or not helpful, users are encouraged to click the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” icons in the chat experience to provide feedback. Ask Fairfax replaces our previous “Fairfax Virtual Assistant,” but traditional search is still available. You can continue to use the “Search our site” field located to the right of the “Ask Fairfax” area.
Starting Oct. 1, 2026, Medicaid will have eligibility changes for non-citizen adults.
Our Department of Family Services is committed to working to ensure that current Medicaid enrollees are aware of these changes and their impact. Beginning Oct. 1, in order to keep full Medicaid benefits, noncitizen adults must be Naturalized citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants or Cuban/Haitian entrants. This does not include noncitizen children and pregnant members; their eligibility under Virginia Medicaid or FAMIS is not changing. Those potentially affected by these changes will be contacted directly via mail in August by the Department of Medical Assistance Services. This letter should explain the new rules and what is required for the Department of Medical Assistance Services to review their case for continuation of Medicaid eligibility. Individuals who lose full-benefit Medicaid eligibility due to their immigration status will be transitioned into Emergency Services Medicaid effective Oct. 1. NewsCenter has more. You can also listen to a “County Conversation” podcast on this. Visit soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty.
New self-service kiosks now give you a faster option to make personal property tax payments closer to home, eliminating the need to visit our Department of Tax Administration’s customer service counter. The kiosks are available at four county government locations:
- Fairfax County Government Center, Fairfax
- Gerry Hyland Government Center, Alexandria
- North County Government Center, Reston
- Mason District Government Center, Annandale
North County and Mason District government center kiosks have 24-hour access, because they are co-located with district police stations. Other kiosks are available during the building’s operating hours. Kiosks accept cash, check and credit card payments. They also allow you to check account balances, print receipts and complete the same payment transactions for personal property taxes currently offered at service counters. The kiosks currently accept payments only for personal property tax, also known as the vehicle or car tax.
Finally, subscribe to “Weekender,” the county’s weekend arts and entertainment e-newsletter. “Weekender” brings together offerings from around the county and delivers that info right to your inbox. Don’t miss out on fun happenings throughout the county. Subscribe to “Weekender” at fairfaxcounty.gov/news/weekender.
That’s all for this NewsCenter podcast. Thanks for listening. For more information about the topics in this podcast and for news updates, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/news. Follow the NewsCenter podcast on soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty and our podcasts webpage, fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts. You can also listen 24/7 online to Fairfax County Government Radio at fairfaxcounty.gov/radio. If you have questions, call 703-FAIRFAX, that’s 703-324-7329, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or email publicaffairs@fairfaxcounty.gov. The NewsCenter podcast is produced by the Fairfax County, Virginia, Government.
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